Chapter 8 Khal
Khal
The sun rises over the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow that spills through the window of our cozy inn suite.
I'm perched on the window seat, the world outside painted in hues of orange and pink—a breathtaking canvas to start the day.
It's a serene moment, one of those rare pockets of tranquility in the chaos of life.
Amidst this peaceful awakening, the gentle snores of my roommates provide a steady, comforting rhythm. The sound is like a lullaby, and I can't help but smile at the thought that even in sleep, we share this small space and the memories that come with it.
A familiar clinking sound comes from the kitchen, announcing Diaval's presence—he's making coffee. His early morning mutterings are quite comical to listen to as he moves around the compact kitchen. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafts through the air, mingling with the scent of the new day.
I stretch my arms and legs, feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin as I breathe in the morning's freshness from the slightly open window.
A yawn escapes my lips, a natural response to the early hour, but there's a sense of contentment that washes over me.
As soon as we get into the SUV, I'll sleep and be ready to watch over everyone again.
Diaval, ever perceptive, glances in my direction, his hazel-green eyes meeting mine for a brief moment.
There's a silent understanding between us, as if he knows I need a jolt of caffeine to stay awake long enough to get everyone on the road.
With a nod of gratitude, I accept the steaming cup he offers.
The warmth of the mug in my hands is a soothing contrast to the cool morning air.
I know I shouldn't be drinking coffee this morning, but it smells too good to pass up.
Feray is the next to emerge. She's rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands, yawning. "Do we have bacon?" Without hesitation, she climbs into the window seat with me and rests her head on my chest, curling up again.
"We unintentionally overslept this morning.
Tregar will deliver breakfast posthaste, then we leave.
" Diaval's dragon has him on edge, and I'm not sure what's bothering him.
He woke up several times over the course of the night, making sure I was still awake, then double-checking the locks before going back to bed.
If Feray hadn't decided I was her personal pillow, I would approach the grumpy dragon to see what's eating him.
Just as someone knocks on the suite's door, Torben exits his room, staring toward the sound.
Diaval answers and accepts the tray from whomever is on the other side.
The tray has every possible breakfast food imaginable on it.
Diaval moves to the counter and prepares a plate and a glass of orange juice before bringing it over to Feray.
"You need to eat a good breakfast and drink all of your juice." His tone doesn't leave room for argument.
Feray slowly opens her eyes and smirks at Diaval as she accepts the tray. "Yes, sir!" She does a mock salute, and he nods, turning away. I don't think he realizes she was being sarcastic.
"You're being naughty, Precious." I whisper in her ear and nibble on the lobe for good measure.
"I know... I also know that if I'm really bad, Torben likes to discipline me." She does air quotes around the word discipline and then smiles.
Now I'm curious.
Nuzzling her neck, I nibble the side of her jaw. "What does he do, Precious? What do you like?"
Feray turns slowly, then cups her hands around my ear.
"He spanks my bottom, then nips the back of my neck as he rubs where he spanked.
" She wiggles in her seat, and the faint scent of arousal hits the air when I flick my tongue out.
I allow my snake's tongue to fully extend and watch Feray's eyes get as big as saucers.
Her reaction gets the gears turning in my head about what to do the next time I get to be alone with her.
The sound of shattering glass snaps my attention over toward Torben, whose eyes are those of his shift.
"Can you manage to not get her worked up before we're trapped in the car for hours?" His nostrils flare several times before he shakes his head.
The simplest thing just dawns on me. Three out of her four mates don't have heightened senses of smell.
Torben is the only poor bastard that gets to smell everything all the time.
Diaval and I, being dragon-kin, use our tongues to taste the air.
Easton, being a predatory bird, has keen eyesight and a weak sense of smell.
Oh, this is going to be fun driving the bear insane.
As much as I disagree with my brother's love of chaos and doing things to disrupt the flow, in this case, watching the big guy lose his ever-loving mind could be the distraction I need.
A thumping on my chest draws me out of my inner musings.
Feray is staring at me, her eyes flickering back and forth between human and wolf.
"You've got that look in your eyes like you're up to something.
" She narrows her eyes at me, then looks back at the others.
"Don't mess with Torben's senses." She stares at the bear for far too long, then back at me.
"It's not nice." Before I can say anything, she gets up and crawls into Torben's lap, resuming eating her food.
Easton breaks away from Diaval and moves to lean against the wall near me, watching Feray with Torben. "I'll be honest. I'm a little jealous of their bond." His tone is almost clinical with the way he's processing his feelings.
Slowly, I tear my gaze away from Torben and Feray to look over at Easton.
"You have to understand he helped her learn how to shift and hunt.
" I take a bite of the sausages Diaval gave me.
"They're both fur-bearing mammals. Diaval and I are both dragon-kin, and you're a mythical bird.
Torben is the most similar to her shift.
" To be honest, until now, I was also having a hard time dealing with how close Feray is to Torben.
"I completely forgot her wolf was bound. She shifts so effortlessly now." He strokes his chin, watching her before picking up his bagel and taking a bite.
"She's amazing—how she's progressed adapting to everything thrown at her in such a short time." I'm proud of how smart my mate is.
"We need to get going." Diaval hollers as he drags his bags and what looks like Feray's to the door.
"I guess it's time." Yawning, I stretch, getting out of the window seat to grab my belongings from the room I claimed.
Heading down the stairs, I feel my ass dragging as I fight the sleep I so desperately need. "Come on, Khal, you look like you're dead on your feet. Torben, get in the back. I need a pillow!" Feray yells, and the big guy gets in the back seat without hesitating.
As soon as Torben is settled, Feray climbs in, dragging me with her.
"Lay down." She lays back against Torben, then pulls me down on top of her.
Feray positions me so I'm half-twisted in the seat, with my head on her chest and my arms on either side of her and Torben's hips.
Her fingers thread through my hair, and I hear a deep, soft rumble of her wolf.
It's a calming tone that immediately drags me under, making me fall asleep almost instantly.
The next thing I know, I'm being gently shaken awake by Feray, and she's giggling. "Wake up, sleepyhead. We've arrived."
I drag myself to sit up, and I feel like someone drugged me. Looking over at Torben, he isn't in much better shape. "I feel like I was hit with a sedative." Shaking my head, I try to clear it.
"It appears my flame has learned the Luna gift of slumber.
" Easton smiles fondly at Feray. "It's most effective with direct contact.
Thankfully, it doesn't work on mythics unless we allow it.
" That holier-than-thou tone of his grates on my nerves, and I can tell I'm not the only one.
Torben rolls his eyes, looking from Easton to me as he stretches and yawns.
"We'll be here for a day, maybe two tops." Diaval looks from his pocket watch to the setting sun. "I need to get permission from the flight in Vasserdell for me to enter."
"Where are we now?" Feray moves closer to Diaval, watching the plates in his face shift slightly.
"We're currently in Thornford. It's a pleasantly mixed community on the way to Vasserdell, where I plan to take you to see the ocean." He reaches out and cups her cheek, looking deep into her eyes.
Feray's body becomes pliant in his gaze, and she visibly sighs. "You were serious about taking me to the ocean..." She sounds surprised that he actually meant what he said.
"I was. You should experience everything the world offers. No more missing out on the outside world." Without thinking, he bends down and presses his lips to her forehead, closing his eyes.
Torben scoots up alongside me and nudges me with his shoulder. "Reminds me of that movie Feray made us watch last week." He raises his eyebrows, hinting at the movie.
"Holy shit, you're right." My hands shoot up to cover my mouth. Wide-eyed, I look between Torben and Easton. I feel like a teenage girl gossiping about the prom king and queen.
"Let nature take its course. She's patient, and he's set in his ways like some other mythic we know." Torben smiles and walks back to the trunk to grab our bags.
"I think it's time for us to check in." Easton moves ahead and gets Diaval's attention. The two ancients walk off, leaving Feray standing there in a daze.
Seizing the opportunity, I scoot up beside her and loop my arm with hers.
"Care to explore a little?" I fire a text off in our group chat before strolling down the main street in town.
Feray smiles and wraps her arm tightly around mine as we walk.
She occasionally pulls me toward a storefront to look in the window.